It’s been forty years this month since the Ramones released their first album. The self-titled debut came out in April 1976, and on the iconic cover by Punk Magazine photographer Roberta Bayley, the boys stand slouched in their leather jackets and tough-guy poses in front of a graffitied brick wall. “Ramones,” and songs like “Blitzkrieg Bop,” kick-started the punk movement, appealing to disaffected kids who were ready for a change from the bloat and bombast of 70s arena rock – kids like Henry Rollins. Rollins went on to have his own career in punk as the frontman for the band Black Flag. He spoke with Press Play producer Christian Bordal about his memories of the Ramones first album and why the band means so much to him.
KCRW
